Lighting-fixture.



A. C. EINSTEIN.

LIGHTiNG FIXTURE.

APPucATloN FILED sEPT.8.1914.

l l @l 7 1 l 9 Patented Nov. 23, 1915.

ALFRED C. EINSTEIN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

LIGHTING-FIXTURE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 8, 1914. Serial No. 860,739.

To all whom t may concern.' i

Be it known that I, ALFRED C. EINSTEIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in'Lighting- Fixtures, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, 'such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it -appertainsto make and use the same.

This invention relates to lighting fixtures and particularly to fixtures comprising. reflectors for reflecting the light downwardly over a wide area.

One type of reflector that` is used extensively with electric ceiling lights and with electric street lights is formed entirely of metal or some other suitable opaque mate-v rial, and is so designed .that it merely reflects the raysoflight downwardly. One objectionable feature of a lighting xture provided with a reflector of the type referred to is that it throws a black shadow immediately above the reflector; and another objectionable feature is that a great deal. of light that could'be used for illuminating or for advertising purposes is wasted.

One obj ect of my invention is to provide a reflector for lighting fixtures that will throw the rays of'light downwardly and distribute the light over a wide area without causing a shadow to be formed immediately above the reflector.

Another object is to provide a lighting fixture that will produce an indirect light below and above the fixture. And still another object is to provide a reliector for lighting fixtures which is so designed that practically all ofthe rays from the lighting unit are utilized.

Other objects and desirable features of my a large incandescent light unit, but it will, y

of course, be understood that the particular lighting means with which the fixture is Patented Nov. 23, 1915. v

used is immaterial so far as my invention is y my improved fixture. rI`he part 1, which I .will term the reflecting member, is preferably formed of metal and is coated with porcelain, enamel or some other substance that produces a brilliant reflecting surface. AThe part 2, which I .will term the transparent member, is formed of glass or some other suitable material that is transparent cr translucent so that the rays of light from the bulb A can ass through same, the term transparent eing herein used to mean a substance or part that is perfectly transparent or only translucent. f

In the form o-f my invention shown in Fig. 1 the transparent portion 2 of the reflector is substantially cylindrical-shaped and projects upwardly from the opaque reformed of metal and provided with venti-V lating openings l is lconnected to the upper end of the cylindrical-shaped portion 2 of the reflector, the means 5 that supports the reflector being secured to said cap. It is immaterial, sov far as my broad idea is concerned, how the cylindrical-shaped transparent portion 2 is fastened to the cap 3 and to the flared reflecting member 1. In the form of my invention shown in Fig. 1 the portion 2 is provided at its opposite ends with screw-threads 6 that coperate with internal screw-threads on flanges 8a and 1a on the cap 3 and on the reflecting member 1, respectively. and in the form of my invention illustrated in Fig. 2 the flanges on said cap and reflecting member are providedwith set screws 6a that coperate with lips 7 on the opposite ends of the cylindrical-shaped portion 2. j The rays of light from the lighting means are thrown downwardly and distributed over a wide area by the opaque reflect-- in member 1, and some, vof the rays from said lighting means pass upwardly and laterally through the transparent or translu- 'centportion 2, thereby preventing a shadow from. being cast immediately above the reiector by the opaque portion 1. In order that an indirect light will be produced I use an' nario iight buit A Whose undef Side s is frosted or coated with a substance that acts as a diffusing shield which tends to dim i' the rays and give an opalescent effect, thereby causing the rays to be reflected onto the .reflecting` member 1 and ralso upwardly through the transparent portion 2. l

llVhen a reflector of the construction above described is used with a ceiling light the ceiling immediately above the reflector will be illuminatedl by the rays of light Athat are thrown outwardly and upwardly through the transparent portion 2, and the reflecting member 1 will diffuse the light over a wide area. Consequently, such a lightmg fixture produces'an indirect light above and below the lighting unit and does not casta large black shadow on the ceiling. When the reflector isused with a street light, the transparent or translucent portion 2 can be provided with letters orcharacters so as to form anA advertising medium, thereby causing all of the light from the lighting unit to be utilized. v

Still another desirable feature of such a fixture is that it will produce two different' colored lights if the transparent portion 2 of the reflector is formed from glass or other suitable transparent or translucent material of a different color or hue from the glass of the electric light bulb A, thereby y'making the fixture particularly `well jadapted for a street light that is used to inv tion or reflecting member 10, said portions vbeing connected together in some suitable manner, as, for example, by means of rings or flanges 11 at the upper end of the reflecting member 10 that embrace the lower end of the transparent portion 20. A cap 30 provided with Ventilating openings 4a is connected to the upper end of the transparent portion 20, and chains or some other suitable supporting means 5a are connected to the reflecting member 10 so as to sustain the reflector. Instead of using an electriclight bulb provided with a frosted lower portion, as shown in Fig. 1, a .diffusing shield 8, preferably formed of translucent material, is arranged under the lighting means solas to produce an opalescent effect and reflect the rays upwardly against the under-side of the reflecting member. and

. through the transparent upper portion 20, the shield 8a shown in Fig., 3 being suspend- I ed from the reflecting member 10 by means of chains 12 or other suitable devices.

While I prefer to form the reflector partly from metal or some other s'uitable opaque material and partly from a substance that is transparent or translucent, I do not wish it to be understood that my invention is limited to such a construction, for the novel feature of'my improved rcflector is that it has any opaque portion that reects the light downwardly and a transparent or translucent upper portion through which the rays can escape so as 'to produce a light above the opaque portion of the reflector.- Therefore, it would be possible to form the entire reflector from transparent or translucent material and coat the lower portion with a substance that would render it opaque. i

In addition to the desirable features above mentioned, my improved fixture presents a neat andornamental appearance, it is strong and serviceable, it is inexpensive to' manufacture, it enables all of the rays vfrom the lighting unit to be utilized, and

it produces an indirect light above and below thexture. 4

Having thus described my invention, whatcI claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A light reflector having a frusto-conical-shaped opaque portion that reflects the light Adownwardly and a transparent or translucent portion arranged at the center of said. opaque portion above the lightin unit through -which the light escapes an lights the space above said opaque portion,- and means arranged under thei source of light which reflects the rays upwardly against said opaque portion and through said translucent portion.

2. A lighting fixture comprising a reflector provided with a truste-conical-shaped opaque portion designed in such a manner that it reflects the light from the lighting means downwardly, a cylindrical-shaped transparent center portion arranged above the lighting means and up through which the rays pass, and a translucent diffusing shield of `less diameter than said opaque portion arranged under the lighting means.

3. An electric light reflector comprising a downwardly flared opaque reflecting member, a ventilated cap, and a transparent orV translucent member arranged intermediate said cap and reflecting member and connected to same so as to serve as a supporting means for said reflecting member.

4. A lighting device comprising an electric lighting unit, a downwardly inclined reflecting member surrounding said unit, a ventilated cap arranged above said unit, a transparent or translucent member arranged intermediate said cap and reflecting member and serving to connect said parts together, and means for causing the rays from said lighting unit to be reflected onto the under-side of said reflecting member and throughsaid transparent portion.

5. An electric light reflector comprising a metallic reflecting member which iares downwardly and outwardly from the source of light, a metal cap provided with Ventilating openings, and a cylindrical-shaped transparent or translucent member ar- 10 ranged between said cap and reflecting member and detachably connected to same, so as to serve as a supporting means for said reflecting member.

In testimony Whereoic I hereunto aX my signature in the presence of two witnesses, 15

this third day of September, 1914.

ALFRED C. EINSTEIN. Witnesses:

WELLS L. CHURCH, GEORGE BAKEWELL. 

